NEBHE
NCSARA
MHEC
WICHE
SREB
National Council for
State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements
A voluntary, regional approach to state oversight of distance education
Indicate Regional Compact:
 Midwestern Higher Education Compact
 Southern Regional Education Board  New England Board of Higher Education
 Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education
RENEWAL APPLICATION FOR
INSTITUTIONAL PARTICIPATION IN SARA
An institution applying for renewal to operate under the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA) must submit
this form to its home state’s portal agency for SARA participation.
When a state checks “yes” on this form, the state affirms that the applicant institution has followed proper
procedures and provided necessary documents to continue operating under SARA, but this affirmation does not
necessarily represent state evaluation of the institution’s ability to perform under SARA policies. An institution
seeking renewal must meet the following requirements:
APPLICANT
Institution affirms meeting
the requirement
(initial boxes)
STATE
Institution meets
the requirement
1. The principal campus or central administrative unit remains domiciled in a state or
district that has joined the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA)
initiative and is authorized to operate in that state.
 Yes  No
2. The Institution retains its accreditation by an accrediting body recognized by the
U.S. Secretary of Education.
 Yes  No
3. If non-public, the institution shall maintain a financial responsibility index score of
1.5 or above; and in the case of a score between 1.0 and 1.5, the portal agency has
affirmed that sufficient documentation has been provided to support continued
institutional participation in SARA. Public institutions leave this blank.
 Yes  No
4. The institution agrees to abide by the Interregional Guidelines for the Evaluation
of Distance Education as summarized in SARA policy 5(2)1-9 and current NC-SARA
Policies and Standards.
 Yes  No
5. The institution agrees to maintain responsibility for the actions of any third-party
providers used by the institution to engage in operations under SARA.
 Yes  No
6. The institution agrees to notify its home state’s portal agency of any negative
changes to its accreditation status.
 Yes  No
7. The institution agrees to provide data necessary to monitor SARA activities as
requested by NC-SARA or the state portal agency.
 Yes  No
Rev. 5/12/2015
APPLICANT
STATE
Institution affirms meeting
the requirement
(initial boxes)
Institution meets
the requirement
8. The institution agrees to work with its home state’s portal agency to resolve any
complaints arising from its students in SARA states, and to abide by decisions of
that entity.
 Yes  No
9. The institution applies to its home state’s portal agency for renewal over the
signature of the institution’s CEO or chief academic officer.
 Yes  No
10. The institution agrees to notify in writing all students in a course or program that
customarily leads to professional licensure, or which a student could reasonably
believe leads to such licensure, whether or not the course or program meets
requirements for licensure in the state where the student resides. If an institution
does not know whether the course or program meets licensure requirements in
the student’s state of residence, the institution may meet this SARA requirement by
informing the student in writing and providing the student the contact information
for the appropriate state licensing board(s). An e-mail dedicated solely to this
purpose and sent to the student’s best known e-mail address meets this requirement. The institution should use other means to notify the student if needed.
 Yes  No
11. The institution agrees, in cases where the institution cannot fully deliver the
instruction for which a student has contracted, to provide a reasonable alternative
for delivering the instruction or reasonable financial compensation for the education
they did not receive.
 Yes  No
12. The institution agrees to pay to the state any state fees for SARA participation
required by the home state for administering SARA.
 Yes  No
13. The institution agrees to pay its annual SARA participation fee to the National
Council for SARA (NC-SARA). This single annual fee replaces any fees that the
institution would ordinarily pay to other SARA member states.
 Yes  No
Rev. 5/12/2015
INSTITUTIONAL DESIGNATION AND AFFIRMATION
I, the undersigned representative of (institution name)___________________________________________, having the authority to
commit the institution to continue operating under SARA, certify this institution meets all standards and requirements stated herein
required to operate under the SARA agreement.
Mailing address of institution:
Institution OPEID number:
Institution FTE (latest IPEDS):
Name of principal SARA contact:
Email of principal SARA contact:
Phone of principal SARA contact:
Link to complaint system:
Title of signatory institutional officer:
Typed name of signatory officer:
Signature:
Date signed:
STATE PORTAL AGENCY AFFIRMATION
Typed name of state portal agency:
Typed name of state portal agency contact:
Signature:
Date signed:
Title of state portal agency contact:
If institutional renewal is denied by the home state’s portal agency, the portal agency will provide to the institution a written reason
for the denial. The institution may appeal the denial of its renewal application to its regional compact to ensure SARA policies and
standards were upheld during the review process.
Rev. 5/12/2015
SARA STATE SUPPLEMENTAL SHEET FOR INSTITUTIONS
As institutions renew their participation in SARA, please feel free to provide comments or information about state-specific provisions,
institutional characteristics or additional information specific to any item on this renewal application.
Significant institutional changes relevant to this renewal application:
State-specific topics (i.e., bonding, fee schedule):
Comments to improve efficiency and effectiveness of the SARA initiative:
Rev. 5/12/2015